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How could a lifted Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG be more awesome? Add an axle

We are fully confident in saying that this will be the most amazing thing you see all day. First of all, it's a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen - in AMG spec, no less. And it's being shown off in high-definition video glory, blasting through the desert, jumping over sand dunes, and generally being awesome. But here's the kicker: It has six wheels. Three axles. And they're all driven. Holy $%!#.
Under the hood is AMG's usual 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8, and total output is rated at 536 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque. That's impressive and all, but do keep in mind that the G63 6x6 weighs in at 8,322 pounds or, you know, the weight of two E-Class sedans. Combine that with its 18 inches of ground clearance, 37-inch tires and five locking differentials and you've got a vehicle capable of, well, everything you've ever imagined or will ever imagine for the rest of your life.
But the goodness doesn't stop once you open the doors. Oh, no. This thing is fit for a king - or a sheik, more appropriately - with ultimately luxurious seating for four. The rear bench seat has been removed in favor of two bucket seats with a fixed console in the middle, and the rear seats have been moved back beyond the usual B pillar to allow for more legroom.

Maybach and Aston Martin alliance talks fall apart

If you have, like us, been salivating at the notion of a new generation of Maybach and Lagonda ultra-luxury crafts built by Aston Martin, we've got some bad news: According to reports emanating from Germany, talks between AML and Daimler have broken down.
The proposal under negotiation would have seen Daimler outsourcing production of the next family of Maybach models to Aston Martin, which in return would benefit from Mercedes-Benz platforms and engines - not only for its svelte GTs, but also for its own future Lagonda line of limousines and luxury SUVs. That, and a boatload of money - or at least that's what AML was reportedly seeking, an issue that served as the stumbling block over which the deal reportedly collapsed.
That's not to say the two parties couldn't still reach some sort of a compromise, but short of that, Daimler may opt to either shut down Maybach altogether, find another partner, or take another stab at building new models internally.

Consumer Reports declares most and least loved cars [w/video]

Consumer Reports is crunching the numbers from its annual owner-satisfaction survey, and part of that process is finding out how attached drivers are to their cars. CR simply asks readers of models up to three years old if they would buy the same vehicle again in light of their entire ownership experience, and tallies the results. After looking at the responses for about 350,000 vehicles, it turns out that people really love a certain California-built, electrically powered luxury sedan. That's right, this year's the overall winner was the Tesla Model S with a whopping 98 percent of owners saying they would purchase another one (the Model S also won this award last year, with 99 percent satisfaction). The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray came in a close second with 95 percent of drivers hoping to park another one in their garage. A few models weren't quite so favored, though. The Nissan Versa Sedan was the least loved model among its owners; a mere 42 percent said that they would purchase another. The aging Jeep Compass didn't do much better, with just 43 percent of drivers willing to buy the softroader again. On average, about 70 percent of owners say they would buy their car again, and only four cars ranked below 50 percent in CR's findings. Check out the video above to see some of the winners and losers in a few of CR's categories. If you're a subscriber, you can check out the full list on its website. Related Gallery Consumer Reports Most Loved Cars 2014 Related Gallery Consumer Reports Least Loved Cars 2014 News Source: Consumer Reports - sub. req., Consumer Reports via YouTube Chevrolet Ford Mazda Mercedes-Benz Porsche Subaru Tesla Ownership Videos car ownership